Drive-chain.



F. L. MORSE.

DRIVE CHAIN.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE2'I,1908.

Patented July 28, 1914 3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

INVENTOR F. L. MORSE.

DRIVE CHAIN.

uruouxon FILED um 27, 1908.

1,105,288. Patented July 28, 1914 3 8HEETSBHEET 2.

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WITH ISSIS IIVIII'OI 0%,, WW W..d.

F. L. MORSE.

DRIVE CHAIN.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEZ'I, 1908.

1,105,288. Patented July 28,1914

3 SHEETS SHEET 3.

' sprockets.

inn s'ra rns reruns caries.

FRANK L. MORSE, OI" ITHQCA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOE TO MORSE CHAIN COKPANY, OI

, ITHACA, HEW 'YQBBQ A GORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DEIVECHAIN'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1914.

Application filed Eune 27, 1968. Serial Ho. 440,735.

To all whom it may concern 'Be it known that I, Fnnnn L. Monss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ithaca, in the county of Tompkinsand. State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Drive-Chains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to drive chains and more particularly to what is known as the open link type of chain in which the links are formed of side plates spaced apart to accommodate the sprockets of the wheel, the sprockets being adapted to extend out be tween the plates and engage a spacing mem her-or roller mounted on or surrounding the pintle part or parts at the joints. In chains of this type as heretofore used a roller has usually been employed on the pintle between the side plates at each joint for engaging thesprockets which are formed with curved bearing faces for engaging said rollers so that the line of pull may be'substantially perpendicular to the bearing face at'jall points. thereby insuring 'what is known as root. engagement of the rollers with the \Vith this prior construction a curved depression is worn by the roller at the base of each tooth which causes the rollers of the chain to seat into these depressions with impact and thereby produce an objectionable. snapping noise during the run ning of the chain. If this construction of chain having rollers at all joints, were used With-compensating sprocket wheels having teeth formed with fiat or plane bearing, faces inclined at an angle to a radial line, such as are employed with compensating or silent chains, it will be evident that the chain tension would cause the rollers to immediatelv roll out the inclined face of the sprockets and over the top of the teeth.

It has also been proposed to construct chains of the open link type with silent heads for the sprocket engaging members, these being formed rigid or integral with the side plates of the links and surrounding the pintles, as

shown in my prior pending application, Se

rial No. 279,631, filed September 22, 1905. These non-rotatable or rigid sprocket engaging members may be termed silent heads,

and are adapted to engage straight sided sprockets in such a manner as to compensate for wear by engaging the teeth farther out from the base as the pitch lengthens and thereby PIOtl-HCQ a silent running chain.

This form of construction however, may ne cessitate the use of bent side plates for the chain links which diminishes the strength and durability of the chain, and also involves certain difiiculties in the process of manufacture which greatly increase its cost.

The principal object ofmy present invention is to combine the advantages of the silentrunning feature with the flexibility, durability and strength of the roller type of construction, and for this purpose I have provided achain of the open link roller type but having anon rotatable silent head rigid with the link plates at certain joints to engage the straight sided sprockets and thereby compensate sufficiently for the wear so as. to produce a silent running chain.

According to a preferred construction a. rigid or silent head may be provided at each alternate joint, but my invention. is not limited to this alternate arrangementsince it may be found that substantially the sameadvantages may be derived by providing a. silent head every third or fourth joint or interspersed in some other arrangement, the es sential feature being that there shall be a. suf ficient number of silent heads bearing at the same time upon the sprockets of a. wheel to properly compensate for wear and prevent objectionable noise in the operation of the chain.

While my invention is more particularly designed to be applied in connection with open link chains having links formed of straight side plates, and joined by pintles formed intwo or more parts, it is not necessarily limited to such construction since it may also be used in-chains having links composed of bent side plates, and with pintles formed of a single. pin member.

In the accompanying drawings Figure- 1 is a part plan and part horizontal section of several links'of a chain embodying a preferred form of my invention, two of the side plates being broken away to more clearly show the construction of the pintles; Fig 2 a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 a perspective view of one of the straight inside. plates having-a silent head formed rigid and integral therewith; Fig. 4 a perspective view of .one of the outside plates of the adjacent link; Fig. 5 aperspective view of the pintle, pa rts of the joint adapted'to extend through the silent or rigid heads and the outside plates, the washer at one end being having bent side plates and embodyin rated; Fig. 6 a perspective view of the parts of an ad acent joint in which the pintle parts are surrounded by a roller, the latter eing shown partially cut away and the washer at one end being removed to, more clearly illustrate the joint construction; Fig. 7 a part plan and part horizontal section, with one side plate'removed, showing several links of modified chain onstruction y improvement; Fig. 8 a side View 0 the same; Fig. 9 a perspective view of one of the side plates; Fig. 10 a.perspective view of the parts of one of the roller oints of this modification, the roller being partly cut away and the central pintle member being removed from its bushing; Fig. 11 a erspective View of one of the fixed or si ent heads adapted to be rigidly mounted in the inside ends of some of the links; Fig. 12 a horizontal section of a piece of chain having links formed of straight side plates joined by single pinfintles and showing my improvement applie thereto; Fig. 13 a side view of the same; Fig. 14 a perspectivolview of one of the outside plates; Fig. 15 a-similar view of one of the inside plates; Fig. 16 a perspective view of one form of silent or rigid head that may be emplo ed in any of the desired chain structures; 1 ig. 17 a similar view of a modified form of silent head; Fig. 18 a perspective View of a chain link similar to that shown on Sheet 1, but having additional means for holding the rocker pin in the side plates, a part of the roller being cutawa and one of the side plates slightly I'eniovcd Fig. 19 a similar view of a chain link showing a modified form of. means fixing a silent head in the side plates; Fig. 20 a perspective view showing my improved chain dupiicated laterally and adapted to'run on a double set of sprockets; Fig. 21 a side view of the chain applied to a portion of a sprocket wheel, one joint being in section and showing a modifiedform of three part pintle; and Fig. 22 a similar view showing still another form of three part pintle joint that may be employed in connection with my improvements.

According 'to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings I have shown the inside links composed of plates 1 having integral portions 2 extending inward and meeting together at one end of the link, thereby forming a fixed or silent head for spacing the side plates apart and surrounding the pintle parts of the joint for engaging the sprockets of the wheels. The pintles are preferably formed in two parts comprising a seat pin 5 having a substantially plane bearin'g face, and a rocker pin 6 engaging the seat p n with a rolling contact, both pintle arts extending through apertures at the cm s of both the outside plates 3 and the insidepla-tcs 1 of adjacent links at each through which ass both parts,

i bent Zide joint. The apertures at one end of the plates comprising the inside link are preferably formed as shown to hold in place and turn with the seat pin member 5 of the pintle -while permitting free movement of the rocker pin 6 therein which also extends through the apertures in the outside lates of the adjacent link these apertu'res ing formed to hold in place and turn with the rocker 6 and permit free movement of the seat pin 5. I

A roller 4 may be mounted on the pintle parts between the inside plates for engaging the sprockets and rivet pins 8 may be employed extending through the joint for riveting the outside washers 7 and holding the parts of the chain together, all as described and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 440,732, filed the same date as this application.

The integral projections 2 formed on the other ends of the insideplates and com-prising the fixed or silent heads for engaging the sprockets also-have an aperture which is preferably substantially cylindrical and the seat pin and rocker, of t e pintle, the latter member bein adapted to engage andturn with the silen head and inside plates while the seat pin 5 turns freely within the aperture of the silent head 2 and is fitted within the apertures in the outside plates of the adjacent link and turns therewith. These apertures in the outside plates are formed to provide sufiicient clearance for the free movement of the rocker pins 6 therein which may be shouldered at their ends if preferred and may also be held in the apertures of the silent heads in any other suitable manner than by the simple frictional engagement shown, if desired. The seat pins may also be shouldered at their ends in the roller joints to give sufficient clearance in the apertures of the outside plates and if desired these pintle parts may be provided with additional projections 9 near each end for fitting into corresponding socketslO in the ends of the inside plates, as shown in Fig. 18, for more firmly holding these parts in position.

According to the modification shown in Figs. 7 to 11 inclusive the alternate silent head ,and roller construction is applied in connection with anopen linkchain having 7 lates so that all of the link plates 11 ar alil ie, each having an inside end with an aperture into which the shouldered end of a silent or fixed head 14, or a sleeve 13 may be fitted, and an outside end through which the end of the cylindrical pintle 12 extends and to which it may be riveted. The

pintles 12 turn with the outside end of the links and bear within the cylindrical openings in the-fixed heads at each alternate joint and within the fixed sleeves 13 at each of the other joints, the rollers 4 being mounted to turn on the sleeves 13 between the side pla Figs. 12 to if it isirc show a similar construction applied 52 ctmncction with a chain having links mid of straight outside plates 3 and inside plates 1, the shouldered ends of the silent heads being fixed in apertures at one end a; arh inside link and the fixed sleeves rigidly mounted in the aperture at the other end of each of the insldo links while the pintles 12a re riveted at both ends of each of the outside links.

The non-rotatable or silent heads may be of any suitable or preferred shape such as shown at 2, Fig. 2, 1-1, Fig. ll, 11*, Fig. 1G, or L4, Fig. 17, for engaging the face of the sprockets.

If desired the silent or fixed heads may be provided with additional projections 15 for fitting corresponding sockets 16 in the side plates, as shown in Fig. 19, for the purpose of more securely mounting the fixed heads, in position.

Fig. 20 illustrates how the chain, such as is shown in Fig 1', may be increased in width by a more duplication of the links side by side and the cx" ision of the pintle members to accommodate any desired width of chain adapted to run on wheels having a plurality of set sprockets.

Fig 21 shows the manner in hich the rollers and the li l, or aii nt head engage the sprockets, and a shows a modified form of three part pinlle comprising two side'parts l7 and 1%: having convex bearing faces engaging opposite sides of the central bearing niclnber l8, all. of the pintle parts extending through the plates of the two ad jaccnt links and the lined heads on the rollers at each joint.

Fig. 22 illustrates a similar construction but shows a modified form of three part pintle in which the two side parts 2t) and 21 are provided with concave bearing faces engaging the cylindrical central pin 21. which is adapted to rotate in the hearing.

In the constructions shown in both Figs. \21 and 22 the central pin member of the joint may be provided with shouldered ends adapted to he riveted to the outside washers 7 for holding the parts of the chain together, as fully described in my (trplflllllllg 2 :vplication Serial No. llOJijS, filed as of the same date as this application.

From the foregoing dcscriptiim it will now be apparent that the fixed or silent heads for engaging the sprockets may be formed integral with the side plates of the links, or u'iay be rigidly mounted with said plates so as to be non-rotatable.

According to the prcfcrrcd construction, as Shown in the drawing, and as before stated, a fixed or non-rotatable silent head is located at each alternate joint, but it may be found in some cases that the advantages of my improvements may be obtained by using a fixed or silent head only at each third or fourth joint, or at some other interval, there being a sufficient number of such heads in engagement with the sprockets at all times to insure sutl'icient frictional contact between the chain and the wheel to provide proper compensation. By means of this construction also straight side plates may be used for the links, and those having the silent heads formed integral therewith may be readily and cheaply constructed by ordinary machining methods thereby greatly increasing the strength and durability of the chain, as well as reducing the cost of manufacture.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A drive chain adapted to run upon compensating sprockets and having links composed of side plates, pintles joining said links, rotatable sprocket engaging members on some of said pintles, and non-rotatable members interspersed with said rotatable members upon other pintles of said chain.

2. A drive chain adapted to run upon conipcnsatin sprockets and having links composed 0. side plates, rotatable sprocket engaging members located between said side plates, and other non-rotatable sprocket e11- gaging members interspersed with said rotatable members.

3. A drive chain adapted to run upon compensating sprockets and having adjacent links composed of outside plates and inside plates respectively, pintles connecting said plates, rollers mounted on some of said pintles, and non-rotatable sprocket engaging members interspersed with the rollers upon the other pintles.

4. A drive chain adapted to run upon compensating sprockets and having adjacent links composed of outside plates and inside plates respectively, pintles connecting said plates, and alternate rotatable and non-rotatable sprocket engaging members on said pintles.

5. A drive chain having links composed of side plates, pintles joining said links, rotatable sprocket engaging members on some of said pintles, and rigid heads having bearing faces for engaging straight sided sprockets interspersed with the rotatable members upon other pintles of the chain.

6. The combination with a sprocket wheel having straight sided teeth, of a drive chain having links composed of side plates, pintles joining said links, rollcrsniounted on some of said pintles and engaging said bearing faces, and heads rigid with the side plates and also cnga I ing, the bearing faces of said teeth, the rigi heads being interspersed with the rollers upon the pintles.

7. The combination with a sprocket wheel having compensating teeth with inclined bearing faces, of a drive chain having links composed of side plates, pintles joining sa-id links, rollers mounted on some of said pintles and engaging said bearing faces, and rigid heads interspersed with the rollers upon the other pintles and also engaging the bearing faces of said teeth.

8. A drive chain adapted to run upon compensating sprockets and having adjacent links composed respectively of straight outside plates and straight inside plates, pintles connecting said links, non-rotatable or silentsprocket engaging members or heads rigid with the plates of the inside links at some of the pintle joints, and rotatable sprocket engaging members or rollers at the other pintle joints, the fixed heads being interspersed with the rollers.

9. A drive chain having adjacent links composed of outside plates and inside plates respectively, pintles connecting said links, the inside plates having integral lateral cxtensions around the pintle at one end of the link, thereby forming a fixed head or sprocket engaging member, and a roller on the pintle at the opposite end of such links.

10. A drive chain having links composed of side plates spaced apart, pintles formed in a plurality of parts extending through sad plates and adapted to turn one upon i another, non-rotatable sprocket engaging members surrounding the pintle parts at some of the joints, and rollers surrounding the pintle parts at the other joints.

11. A drive chain having links composed of side plates, the plates of some of the links having rigid s rocket engaging members or heads, pintles ormed in two parts extending through openings in each head and side plates of lmtlradjaccnt links, the openings in said heads being formed to engage with one part of the pintle and allow free movement of the other pintle part.

12. A drive chain adapted to run upon .compcnsating sprockets and having each alternate link composed of two outside plates. and each intcrmcdiate link of two in side plates, pintles for connecting said links, fixed silent heads surrounding the pintles of certain joints for engaging the sprockets, and rollers mounted on the pintles of the other joints interspersed bct n'ccn joints having fixed heads.

13. A drive chain adapted to run upon compensating sprockets and having each alternate link composed of two outside plates, nd each intermediate link of two inside plates, pintles for connecting said links, fixed silent heads rigid y mounted with the inside plates and surrounding the pintles at each alternate joint for engaging the sprockets, and rollers mounted on the pintles of the other joints.

14. A drive chain having each alternate link composed of two outside plates, and each intermediate link of two inside plates, pintles for connecting said links, fixed silent heads having substantially flat bearing faces for engaging the sprockets and located at the pintles of certain joints, and rollers mounted on the pintles at other joints.

15. A drive chain having each alternate link composed of two outside plates, and each intermediate link of two inside plates, pintles for connecting said links. silent heads formed integrally with the inside plates and surrounding the pintles at each alternate joint, and rollers mounted on the pintles at other joints.

16. A drive chainhaving each alternate link composed of two outside plates. and each intermediate link of two ins de plates, pintles for connecting said links, said pintlcs being formed in a plurality of parts QX,

tcnding through apertures in the plates of both adjacent links and bearing one upon another tln'oughout their length. and fixed :zilcnt hcads surrounding the pintle parts of certain joints for engaging the sprockets.

17. A drive chain having each alternate link composed of two outside plates, and each intcrmediate link of two inside plates, pintles for connecting said links, said pintles being composed of a scatpin and rocker cxtending through apertures in the plates of both adjacent links and bearing upon each other, and fixed silent heads surrounding the pintle parts of certain joints for engaging the sprockets.

In testimony whcreof I have hciennto set my hand.

lt. l EMERY, WM. M. CAnY. 

